Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-07-08
Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON, d. G.
July D. 1887.

three hundred and seventy-one million
dollars, more than eight dollars for
every man. woman and child. During
the year the public debt has been re-
duced sl09 300, 200, and the new year
opens viii h the prospect of large ac-
emulation each month TO the surplus.
An increase in the surplus each month
of from ten to fifteen million dollars Is
looked for, and the currency is being
contracted and boarded in the Treasury
at such rate that even the Republican
press is demanding reduction OF the
tariff.
Last week West Virginian named
Brown was ut the Pension Bureau to
furnish evidence in claim pending be-
fore that office. 1t was learned upon in
uuiry that his mother had borne thirty
three children in all. Twenty of this
number were boys, sixteen Of whom
had served in the Union Army. TWO
were killed. The other fourteen sur
vive. Each of them draws pension
from the Government for disabilities re-
ceived while in the service. The death
of the two boys entities the mother to a
pension also. Gen. Black, the Commits
sioner of Pensions, says the lies OF the
| office fail to show another record where
the sixteen sons of one father and mother
n. =. 81 iaFn
Among The pardonS granted by the
President last week was one to Thomas
Ballard, the notorious counterfeitcr,
who was sentenced in 1875 to thirty
years imprisonment in the penitentiary
for engraving and having in his posses
sion counterfeit plates, notes, &c. lie
has now been in the penitentiary for
more thar twenty years, and the pardon
is granted because he Is broken down
physically and mentally and cannot live
much longer. His wife has chung 10
bin with n woman's devotion all these
years, educating her three daughters
and the President pays high tribute to
her endeavors to have him released,
which she has accomplished at last.
Talking to Democratic politician
recently who stands high in the party he
said: "What do the Democrats of West
Virginia mean by making a contest over
the seat in the United States Senate?
Senator Faulkner is sure to be seated,
contest or no contest, and the only effect
4 contest will have will be still further
to widen the breach in the party of tina
! State. Mr.. Lucas has not leg to Stand
! upon in the contest, and il seems to me
that this is Il very bad time for fight,
as you carry the State only by small
majority, and any trouble at this time
may enable the Republicans to carry the
State in 1888, and your five electoral
votes may decide the Presidential cleo
ton" Very sound reasoning this.
Mr.. Levi Bacon, financial clerk of the
Interior Department, died OH the goth
| of June. A committee was appointed
last week at the request OF his bonds
men to examine his books and settle
the accounts of his office. The eXami-
nation showed that he was short $50, 200
! in cash. 1t is said that Mr.. Bacon did
not get the benefit of this, as he loaned
| the most of the money to friends in the
office, taking their due bills, and those
| of the borrowers who are still working
for Uncle Sam will have percentage de-
Quoted from their pay each month until
their indebtedness is paid. The re-
mainder of the missing money, about
$l2,0 900, was loaned to parties outside.
and this his bondsmen will have to pay.
| Some of these bills run as far back as
1879, which shows gross neglect by
some one, as the law is emphatic in its
! terms that the accounts of all disbursing
! officers must be audited. If Mr.. Lamar
had done his duty and removed him as
soon as he took charge of the Interior
Department the deficiency would not
have been nearly so large.
A man who gave his name as Rene
dicht Krebs, Swede, and evidently
crank, was arrested in this city on Fri.
day evening for threatening to kill
President Cleveland. He said at first
that eX-President Grant had kept him
from getting several hundred thousand
dollars which the Government owed
him. Then he said that President
Cleveland owed him six hundred million
dollars which he would not pay, and he
was going to kill him. He will proba-
bly, be sent to an insane asylum.
Last week | mentioned the fact that
Morris Friedsam, of New York, was the
only Republican internal revenue coll
lector in the country. Well, the Presi-
dent celebrated the "Glorious Fourth"
by removing Morris and putting DEM
ocrat in his place.
III. w. Blunt, of the Shepherdstcgn
Cement Works, has been awarded the
contract for furnishing the cement
needed for the Capitol terrace, he DelnS
the lowest bidder. 1t will take between
three and four thousand barrels of
cement for the work.
Mr.. j. II. Lichliter, of Virginia, for
some years a clerk in the Internal Rev
enue Bureau, and weliknown in
Jefferson county, has resigned his posi-
ton and entered upon the practice of
law at Dayton. Ohio.
A marriage license has been issued in
this city to David Westerhayer and Miss
Mary Paul, both of Martinsburg.
s. W. j.
ha or hn of a